Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 8,103 in the week ending April 20, the Labor Department said. There were 4,538 claims the week before.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 207,000 last week, down 5,000 from 212,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 231.4%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 60.9%.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor's weekly unemployment insurance claims report.